A Wavering Red Coat
by Silver Wind Wolf
Summary: Vash meets his old friend, Rhym
1. Default Chapter

A Wavering Red Coat  
  
By: Kristen Kolb  
  
She watched him for a moment then smiled as she held up her gun to his head. "Tri," was the only thing she said before the blonde headed man turned around.  
  
"Gun." He replied hesitantly. "Rhym." He looked at the red headed girl in wonder. She only smiled back at him.  
  
The two walked into the bar and immediately he started questioning her in a low tone. "It's been a long time, why are you still alive?" The blonde man asked.  
  
"Before Rem died I swore to her that I'd keep you safe. I was turned into a humaniod." She looked down at the table. "Knives did it Vash. He thought he could control me like all the other humans, I showed to be to much. I tried to tell everyone that Knives was going to kill the whole city, but they couldn't believe me. After all, how could such nice, young me be so evil?" She sighed and then turned her head from the brownish liquid that sat in her cup. Vash gave an uncomfortable smile to the young looking humanoid.  
  
"I figured after everyone was killed that you and Rem had been killed. After all, you're her sister." Vash all but glared at her.  
  
"I tried to get Rem out also," Rhym began but began to choke up with tears welding up in her eyes. "Rem said that she would stay in the city until the end, to make sure that you and Knives stayed safe. She told me to go by myself; that it was high time I get outta that town anyway." Tears poured down the sides of her eyes like small streams. Finally, she looked over to Vash. "When Knives found out, I was still alive he tracked me down and turned me into a humanoid. When I was set out on my first mission to kill you, I escaped becoming stronger so I could kill Knives." She swallowed down the last of her drink. "Ah, but I suppose that you got to him first hmm?" She looked up at Vash again, her eyes surprising him with another smile.  
  
"Yeah," was his only response.  
  
"I'm really glad you killed him first. If it was me, I would have put him through a lot more pain and suffering than that." She gripped the glass with shaking hands. "I would have put him through as much pain as he put not only you and me through, but everyone else he killed." Her smile had long sense disappeared from her face.  
  
"THERE YOU ARE!" A woman's voice yelled from behind the two, making both of them jump.  
  
"Why if it isn't the Insurance Girls!" Vash gleefully said with a high-pitched laugh at the end.  
  
"I apologies' ma'am if he has caused you ANY harm." Merrill gave a smile to Rhym.  
  
"Oh no! None at all, in fact, I'm one of his old friends. We go a long way back." She smiled at Merrill.  
  
"You mean he has friends?" Merrill asked with surprise in her voice.  
  
"Well isn't that nice, I'm glad to see that you're getting along nicely Vash." Milley smiled at Vash who was still laughing.  
  
"Oh well, yeah, I mean everyone needs friends." He smiled directly at Merrill, who had become quite fond of him. She blushed, turned around, then cleared her voice. Vash stared at the back of Merrill's head blinking.  
  
"I suppose we can leave you two alone then. Oh, yes, call me if you need anything Ms.." Merrill turned and looked at Rhym.  
  
"The name's Rhym, and I have all the company I need right here." She put her hand on Vash's leg right above his knee, making him blush and infuriating Merrill. She stormed out yelling and cursing about something, Milley following making feudal attempts to calm her friend.  
  
"Rhym, I'm sorry it's been more than 10 years." Rhym nearly fell out of her seat. She ordered another drink and smiled at Vash.  
  
"You mean more like over 100 years Vash." She gave a smile at him though and reached over kissing him lightly on the lips.  
  
Vash blinked and gave a confused look as she pulled herself away from him. He touched his lips then her head. "Sorry, I'm just making sure this isn't one of those crazy dreams." He then smiled back to her.  
  
"Nope, I'm real. Although," she picked up the silver pistol and shot out the glass that was in one of the windows. "I don't particularly like being spied on." She had shot backwards and into the bar window right above Milley and Merrill's heads. She shoved the pistol back into its holder and finished off her second drink.  
  
"ARE YOU INSANE!?" Vash asked with worry as he cowered from the oncoming Merrill.  
  
"Yup, suppose you could say that." Rhym smiled at Merrill and stood. "Well now, you coulda just came in and asked me what we were talking about." Rhym gave a sly look.  
  
"You are going to pay for that window correct?" Merrill asked pointing at it.  
  
"Hey you're the insurance girls, just say Vash did it and the insurance will pay for it." Rhym replied to the question then began to walk out of the bar.  
  
"Now hang on! I can't do that!" But Rhym didn't turn to hear her objection and Vash chased after her tackling her to the ground.  
  
"Now look here," Vash began with his macho voice. "I can't just let you go around giving me a bad record, it wouldn't be right." Rhym smiled at him and got up, pushing him off. She walked back in and put down $$20,000. "All right, that should be more than enough to pay for the window, and you can fix this place up." She waltzed right out leaving Merrill staring in wonder.  
  
"Uh.." Merrill began but didn't really say anything. She sighed.  
  
"Vash!" Rhym caught up with her old friend. "Would you happen to have a place to stay here?" She asked when she caught up and as they continued their walk.  
  
"You could stay at my place for the night. Or a couple if you want." He stopped and made her stop holding up her face so he could look into her grey eyes.  
  
"Thanks.. I'll be sure to repay you somehow." She hugged herself close to him and then the two walked some more.   
  
After about two hours of sitting out in the sun and talking, Rhym noticed that the sun was beginning to fade. She smiled and the two walked to Vash's hotel room, where they walked up a flight of stairs. Vash went in first opening the door.  
  
"Well, it isn't grand but, it does a person a good nights sleep." He turned to smile at Rhym, but found her already undressed. He gawked at her nicely curving body. She then smiled and again kissed him, this time deeper than the first time. The two fell onto the bed enwrapped in each other's arms.   
  
When it was all over and Rhym was asleep, Vash looked up into the nights sky from his window. His muscular, but badly scarred upper half uncovered. 'Did you mean for it all to turn out this way Rem? Did God send you to guide us two back together?' He asked, his green eyes full of wonder. Her rolled over and stared into Rhym's smiling and sleeping face. He rolled back over as a feeling of guilt washed over him. Then he remembered that she was the one that had started it all, that sense she was Rem's youngest sister, he wouldn't have ever thought of making a move on her. So he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Morning came all to quickly and Rhym was awakened by children throwing rocks at the window. She found her head upon Vash's chest and her full breasts were barely covered by the sheets. She pulled herself up and looked out the window and saw the children giving her a look of stupidity, drool rolling down about 3 of their mouths. She rubbed her eyes and when she felt a breeze flow past she notices her upper half was uncovered. She shrieked waking up Vash.  
  
"AH! You little perverts!" She yelled down at the boys. The boys only laughed with satisfactory. She blushed until Vash enwrapped his arms around her. He gave her a fairly deep kiss then got up exposing his nicely equipped body. Rhym only smiled remembering memories of last night. He began getting dressed and Rhym followed his lead. The two walked out and into the morning light. She smiled and stretched while the boys teased her about the incident, she only smiled and laughed with them. Rhym gave the boys some money and told them to go buy ice-cream with it, then stood next to Vash, her smile all the wider than before.  
  
"Beautiful isn't it?" Vash asked as he put an arm around Rhym. She looked at Vash questioningly. "I mean the sky." Vash said looking down with a smile. The wind again blew past making Vash's red coat wave in the wind.  
  
She blushed coyly and nodded in agreement putting a hand and her head on his chest.  
  
"Oh look!" One of the boys yelled to the others.  
  
"Vash has a girl friend!" Another yelled as he handed Rhym her ice-cream. She smiled and patted the boy on the head.  
  
"Aw, c'mon ya'll, can't you keep that to yourself?" The boys laughed and grinned mischievously.  
  
"What if we don't?" One of them asked.  
  
"I'll give each of you $$5 if you keep it a secret." The crowd of boys cheered to her and she handed out the money. When she finished, Merrill had arrived giving her a distrustful look.  
  
"Where exactly did you get all of this money? Why did you sleep in Vash's room last night if you had all of this money?" Merrill interrogated her as Milley just gave a silly smile.  
  
"Um...no comment." Rhym replied as she was pulled past by the crowd of boys that wanted her to play. "Okay take it easy on me! I'm an old woman and my hips hurt today!" She ran from the boys even with her cramping hips.  
  
"Boy, what did you do to her Vash?" Merrill scratched the back of her head and Vash gave a screeching look.  
  
"N-Nothing!" Vash yelled out loud.  
  
"Yeah right, I know that a girl's hips don't hurt unless they've been doing something the other night." Merrill replied while stretching upwards.  
  
"How would you know?" Vash asked with a sly look crossing his face.  
  
Merrill hit him upside the head with a frying pan while a cross vain appeared on her forehead. "That really isn't any of your business, now is it?" Her left eyebrow twitched.  
  
"No ma'am!" He replied with large tear rivers flowed down his face and he bit his bottom lip. 


	2. Chapter 2 Falling Farther

A wavering red coat  
  
part two  
  
By: Angel Azriel  
  
~It's crazy I'm thinking,  
  
Just as long as you're around,  
  
And here I'll be dancing on the ground,  
  
Am I right side up or upside down,  
  
To each other we'll be facing,  
  
But love will beat back the pain we've found~  
  
-  
  
Dave Matthews Band  
  
Crush  
  
"So where too now?" Milly asked Vash with a slight sigh escaping her mouth.  
  
"I believe the rebuilt town of December." Rhym answered for him. She gave the same giddy look that made Merrill hate her.  
  
"I don't think we should go there," Merrill began. "Vash did destroy that town a long time ago, if anyone remembered him, who knows what would happen." Merrill replied to Rhym.  
  
"I know, but, I have to go there. I left something there a while back." Her giddy smile made Vash look at her in curiosity.  
  
"I didn't know you'd been there lately." He looked at her bright red hair coloration and then into her eyes. They were the same clouded grey looks as the years before, and they made him remember.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"VASH, KNIVES! HOLD ON!" A girl yelled to the two younger boys that waited for her.  
  
"C'mon Rhym! Rem wants to see us, you gotta learn to hurry!" A younger version of Vash yelled into the room.  
  
"But, I found this.." she replied and held up a box to Knives and then to Vash. "They're gifts, not much, but they're all I could afford with this month's allowance!" She gave the same old giddy smile and Vash opened his box to reveal a dart gun.  
  
"Hey cool!" He yelled with childish interest.  
  
"Check it out, mines black, and it looks like a real gun!" The younger form of Knives yelled out loud with the same childishness.  
  
"And mines' silver, Knives, it looks more like a pistol than a gun." Vash argued with his older brother.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, okay! We're all happy, now let's go see Rem!" She grabbed the two by their wrists and ran.  
  
Vash was impressed at her speed. The look of surprise pasted across his face.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"Hello? Va—ash . . . HELLO?!" Rhym-yelled waving her hand in front of the blankly staring face. When she snapped her fingers, he snapped back into reality.  
  
"Hi." He replied simply to her.  
  
"Well, now that he's back, I suppose you can go on your way." Merrill said directing her attention to Rhym.  
  
"But that wouldn't be very kind of us Merrill," Milly began. "To let her go all by her lonesome, I mean.." Milly's face was unusually solemn.  
  
"All right then!" Vash said out loud before Milly could finish. "It's settled then! I'll go to the Town of December with her!" He gave a look of determination, only to have it settled by Merrill hitting him upside the head.  
  
"If he's going, it's our priority to follow. We have to make sure you don't get yourself into any more serious trouble. With Ms. Rhym around I don't think that it would be hard for you to do that." She said out loud looking at Rhym.  
  
"You make it seem as though I'm the bad guy!" She growled at Merrill as glared at her.  
  
"Well maybe you are!" Merrill returned Rhym's glare with her own.  
  
Vash and Milly could feel the static running through the air that the two were causing.   
  
"Now, now children, we shouldn't be fighting." Vash waved his finger at the two-while winking.  
  
"Well she started it!" The two replied as the other pointed at the other.  
  
"I did not!" Rhym yelled.  
  
"DID TO!" Merrill yelled back.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Milly yelled then dragged the two by their ears, similar to what a mother would do with her children. They boarded the bus and Milly and Vash sat together. "Now you two sit together and get along." Merrill and Rhym did as they were told, but neither even glanced at each other.  
  
"I believe she said that you are to get along!!" Vash yelled at them, they both jumped.  
  
"Yes sir!" They answered him and began to chat as the bus chugged along. Milly and Vash gave each other a smile of satisfaction. Vash closed his eyes and began to sleep, as did Milly. Merrill and Rhym chatted like school girls gossiping and soon the bus came to a stop.  
  
"Hey, Vash, Milly, wake up.." Merrill shook both of them gently. Vash first woke with a sort of gentle look in his green eyes and smiled at Merrill.  
  
"Well, I'll be, what a nice sight to wake up to." He gave her a sincere smile and got up allowing the just awoken Milly to leave the bus. Merrill blushed a light red to his remark.  
  
"You never did tell me, but...how do you know Ms. Rhym?" Merrill finally asked, while Vash and she sat on the bench and the other two had left to go get some food and whatever it was that Rhym had left behind.  
  
"Well, when I came to their town, it was strange. Everyone loved my brother and I, but there was something wrong with my brother, but no one could put their finger on it. I began to stay in the house of a woman named Rem, because Rhym was her sister, that's how we met. I've known her since I was 11.." he sighed. "Such fond memories." He said with a sigh as he leaned back and smiled softly closing his eyes.  
  
Merrill gave a disheartened look and almost wanted to cry. She felt tears well up in her eyes and a lump appear suddenly in her throat. Her blue hair shielded the eyes that would show pain if she looked at the blonde haired man one more time. She felt cold shivers run through her, as though all of her dreams for the two had been shattered. Her grey blue eyes didn't want to see his smile one more time. She was scared that if she looked at him again, she might cry for the first time in a long time.  
  
Rhym looked at the two with a slight smile and cocked her head to the side and she dropped a large bad onto Vash's lap. "Alrighty boy! Get to work. You'll be holdin' these bags!" She smiled at him with that usual smile that made Vash blink in curiosity. It wasn't a smile that showed warmth, but cold fearlessness. Her eyes were that same clouded grey color, with no emotion in them.  
  
"Hey Rhym, what's going on, why the sudden cold look." Vash asked, making Merrill look up.  
  
"Neh? Oh you mean this one? No reason, I just got to thinking about something, and it's more important to you than you think it is." She winked at him but the wink really seemed aimed at Merrill instead. The gesture made her smile again.  
  
"Well, you heard the woman, let's go!" Merrill said with a different smile across her lips. Vash enjoyed this one much more than the one Rhym had given him.  
  
"Yes`m!" He replied and stood at attention like a soldier that was in a battle zone.  
  
"All right, lets move out!" Rhym waved her hand.   
  
The four began to walk to the inn, where Vash had a few memories that were coming back. The town didn't seem deserted and the people walked about as if they had no clue who he was. Vash received a few angered looks from the town's folk, but only decided to disregard them. They walked into the inn and got two rooms. Rhym walked into the first one, followed by Vash, but she shoved him out.  
  
"Tut, tut! You'll be sleeping in that room. Merrill, Milly, and I will sleep in this one." She winked at him, then allowed Milly and Merrill in. She shut the door on a confused looking Vash.  
  
"Aw man!" He said out loud, then walked into his room.  
  
*flash back*  
  
"Rhym, I want you to promise me something.." The younger Vash appeared again in his mind.  
  
"Yes?" The young girl replied to his request. She removed some of her red hair from her grey eyes. At this time they weren't cold and mechanical-like. But warm, they seemed truly human.  
  
"If we get split up..that is, you, me and Knives. We'll all meet again someday." He asked lifting his blonde haired head backwards so he could stare up at the ceiling.  
  
"What makes ya think we're gonna get split up?" Rhym asked with wonder in her eyes.  
  
"Cause, I dunno, I just want you to know that I'm always here for you, even if Knives isn't." The younger form of Vash replied to her question. He gave her a childish smile to which she returned warmly.  
  
*End flash back*  
  
Vash woke in a cold sweat. He found that Rhym had been staring at him from a chair seated at the foot of his bed. "What's wrong?" He asked her. She got up and shrugged, the stretched her long, thin arms toward the ceiling.   
  
"Dunno, I couldn't sleep, so I came in here to see what you were up to." She replied to his interrogation. "I feel somethin's gonna happen. Can't you feel it Vash, that feeling in the air? It's like something is missing...but you can't find the link." She sat down right next to him on his bed. Her face not but maybe an inch from his own. Her breath was hot, but had a mint smell to it. Her grey eyes had a glint of mischief to them, but the same feeling emitted from her body, cold and emotionless.  
  
Vash looked into her eyes and felt his face drawing closer to hers. He felt his lips brush against hers in a moment of passion. It was as though her cynical, emotionless, heartless look was the thing that made him happy. His green eyes were closed and he felt Rhym press against him. He felt her climb onto the bed and onto his lap, her legs wrapped around his hips the two exchanging love kisses.  
  
Finally her lips left his and reached his ear. "I give up . . . " they whispered into them through shallow pants. "I love you . . . " she finally admitted. She took his hands in her own and entwined her fingers with his. She pushed herself against him once again and the two fell unto the bed. Before she could stop it, it happened again, he'd taken her to the edge of the heavens, then the two fell right back down to earth. She laid there with no second thoughts. This was where she'd dreamt of being.  
  
Vash thought of what she'd said 'I give up . . . I love you . . . ' what did it mean? Why was she surrendering now, instead of back when he'd surrendered to her love? His pale green orbs stared at the velvet purple night sky. The stars dotted it again with their bright glossy glow. His fingers twirled her red hair around his finger. Was this all some dirty trick? No, it at least felt real . . . at least . . . it wasn't a dream . . . 


	3. Chapter 3 Dark Love

A Wavering Red Coat  
  
part 3  
  
By: Kristen Kolb  
  
This world is to much me,  
  
Maybe someday I'll come back for you...  
  
Vash heard a loud noise and woke with an early start. In sheer panic he got up, quickly got dressed and ran out of the door. His eyes held terror as he ran through the hall. Vash tore down the hall only one thing on his mind, 'What's going on?' He nearly knocked down the two swinging doors as he busted to the bright outside light.  
  
He shielded his green eyes from the yellow sun. The streets were amazingly clear. But he distinctly remembered the gun shot. His panic-stricken look surprised most of the old people. He felt her fading slowly, his heart pounded more as he heard yet another gun shot. Vash rushed out into the street, nearly running smack into a cart driven by some stranger. There were curse words to be heard, but Vash ignored them as he made a sharp left.  
  
~It's harder than I thought it'd be,  
  
So I'll spread my wings and fly away~  
  
He swore he felt his heart skip a beat as he reached another long and curving road. The minutes seemed to pass like hours as he ran as fast as he could. His face was saturated in sweat, yet he didn't care, there was only one thing on his mind.   
  
He reached the end of the road, but there was nothing but a large concrete wall. Quickly he cleared it and in a gasping moment found himself face-to-face with ten armed gun men. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a bit of a rush!" The words only angered them, gun shots rang out and the ten men fell to the ground. "I told you I was in a rush!" He again began running toward some large looking house.  
  
~I'm sorry I have to leave like this,  
  
But I can't live on this way~  
  
Busting through the doors, he could barely see. The light was dim, but there seemed to be some fairly surprised men in the room. There were murmurs then gun shots, then what sounded like feet running through the halls. Finally he opened the last pair of doors and saw her standing there, someone on the ground behind her.   
  
The woman looked at Vash, her face guarded but he knew exactly who she was. The silver hair climbed down her back and the golden eyes glared at him. Vash growled and looked at the limp body laying on the ground.  
  
"It's no use, she's almost dead, why don't you just give up?" She asked Vash. He again glared at her.  
  
"I won't give in to your dirty tricks . . . Auron . . . " his eyes glinted dangerously to her. He gritted his teeth and wanted to kill her even more than he did before. "To stoop so low . . . to kill someone so innocent . . . " he felt a tear slip down the side of his cheek and a lump appear in his throat.   
  
"But my dear . . . Vash . . . she was never innocent. She played with you like a toy and then came home to me . . . " Auron gave a cynical and evil smile that sent some shivers running through his body.  
  
"That's not true! It can't be! I'll kill you Auron! This is unforgivable!" Vash yelled at the silver haired woman as he drew his gun. She drew her bow and arrow and shot him in the shoulder.   
  
"Just think of it this way. You can die together!" She snarled at him as she sent another arrow soaring at him. He just barely dodged the sharpened rock. Finally getting the chance, he attempted the shoot the woman with three shots. She dodged the shots and sent another arrow into his right leg. "You're going down with her." She laughed.  
  
"You forget . . . I'm right-handed!" He sent one more shot and it went right through her chest. It ripped through the flesh and out the back of her body. She gasped for breath but felt she slipping into state of horror, her eyes rolled back and her body became as limp as the woman whom she'd been torturing body was. A pool of blood surrounded her and her once silver hair became stained with the red liquid.  
  
~I loved you dear and I gave you my all,  
  
Now let go so I may fall~  
  
Vash rushed over to the side of the woman that lay on the ground drenched in blood. Slowly Vash removed the doll-like body from the ground. Her arms and head moved with his every movement, they were so limp it scared him. He kissed her lips as tears fell from his eyes. His throat becoming all the more soar than before. Her eyes slowly opened to meet his green eyes. The grey orbs attempted to smile up at him.  
  
"I kept our promise.." she coughed and felt herself buck up from the horrifying shock waves of pain that ran through her.  
  
"Don't say it like that.." Vash's tears slipped and mixed with her blood.  
  
~Please let go of me...  
  
Keep savored memories of what love I gave to you...~  
  
"Maybe...Rem will be waiting for me, you think?" Rhym felt the tears fall onto her bloodied, battered, and bruised face.   
  
"Yeah...I'm sure she's up there with a big chocolate cheese cake and maybe even....a Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri." He reached down and kissed her again. This time feeling Rhym kiss back.  
  
Finally after the minutes had passed that felt like hours again. She put her hand to his face and traced her bloodied fingers along his boney face. Her eyes watered, finally her eyes closed and her hand fell to the ground.  
  
~Sayonara...my love~  
  
Vash felt himself slip and fall on top of her, then he heard foot steps and yells of some familiar voices.  
  
~I'll meet you again someday..  
  
Someway...~  
  
He woke again with a start in his bed from a cold sweat. This time Merrill staring at him. There was a confused look on her face when he woke.  
  
"Well, ohijo, sleepy head!" She smiled and handed him some soup. "You've been asleep for three days straight!" She gave another cheery look and watched him take the soup.  
  
"Wha–?" He took the soup and slurped it up faster than he should have. Soon he suffered from a burnt tongue.  
  
"Do you...remember anything....from the house?" Merrill finally asked.  
  
The memories fell into his mind all to quick. "Yes...but...she's..." he felt tears slip out of his eyes. "She's...gone..." he gulped down and finally screamed out loud. "SHE'S DEAD!" Merrill looked down and felt his pain of loss.  
  
"I'm sorry...I wish I could comfort you in some way..but I can't." She finally gave in and put her arms around him. "I'm here for you though...and so is Milly..so..I want you to know you're not alone." Her face cried into his back as Vash sobbed. He put his hand on her arm and smiled though the streams kept coming. Merrill wanted to stay in this moment, as sad and as lonely as it felt, she couldn't help it. It was the first time she'd allowed herself this close to him...  
  
~Au-revoir, I love you my dear~  
  
*End of a Wavering Red Coat...* 


End file.
